Monday 11th January

A recent study has revealed that the number of practicing Catholics has dropped from 33.8 percent to 18.7 percent in Catalunya (article in Castilian, La Vanguardia). Jordi Serrano, current rector at the Universitat Progressista d'Estiu de Catalunya and author of the study Catalunya ha deixat de ser catòlica? (Has Catalunya ceased to be Catholic?) investigates the recent turnaround in religiosity through collected comprehensive data which reflects the change in religious habits, especially among younger people, where Catholicism has become a minority practice. In a comparison between religious practice in 1970 in the aftermath of Franco, the number of practicing Catholics was around 87 percent of Spain declaring to be a practicing Catholic but now those percentages have been reduced to 36.6 percent, dropping further in Catalunya to a low 18.7 percent. Jordi Serrano claims in his study, "the dramatic generational change that is reflected in the religious sphere is unprecedented in any other field of values or attitudes."

Over 200 participants braved the cold yesterday to take part in Día sin Pantalones (article in Castilian, El Periodico). The event, which took place simultaneously in 43 cities worldwide entailed participants to travel on the metro without trousers. The group behind the stunt, Barnamob is known for organising flashmobs, where large groups of people gather in a public place, do something out of the ordinary and then disperse quickly. To create greater visibility the organisers distributed the participants along different routes but all included at least one transfer with everyone converging in Plaza Catalunya, still without trousers, where they got dressed and left.